Our View - American way: debating but not forgetting

September 10, 2003|By Herald Times Editorial Board

Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of 9/11 … the day our hearts sank and our patriotism soared.

Certainly, there are far fewer tributes and ceremonies planned for Thursday than were planned a year ago, when we, the citizens of the United States of America, stood side-by-side and mourned the loss of lives and the loss of the security most of us had always known.

Perhaps we are not as united today as we were in the days and weeks and even months to follow September 11, 2001. But that's not so surprising, is it. For many of us who escaped the personal tragedy of the day, time fades even the most vivid of images.

The polls show how divisive our opinions are when it comes to the actions that have unfolded in the aftermath of that devastating day two years ago. We need only look across the street or down the hallway to find neighbors and coworkers - the same people with whom we gasped and cried just two short years ago - who have views contrary to ours when it comes to such things as "The Patriot Act" and the cost of the continuing war on terrorism and reconstruction in Iraq, which President Bush announced this week will require another $87 billion.

Advertisement

Despite our differing viewpoints, we, as a nation, will push forward. We are Americans: We will continue to debate what measures our country should take to remain strong and secure. Debate is the American way.

It should be our way Thursday, too, to remember 9/11: its heroes; its victims; our soldiers still serving in its wake; and, hopefully, its lessons.